Lopez de Heredia

WINE TALK
#1

Are any of these buys?? FWIW prices in Canadian dollars.

Lopez de Heredia



Wine
Price per Bottle
Rating
Bottles Available






1991 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$154
94 IWC
60

1991 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Tinto
$154
94 IWC
60

1987 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco
$154
93 IWC
60

1981 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco
$224
93 WA
60

1981 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$224
90+ IWC
60

1981 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Tinto
$224
95 W&S
60

1978 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$349
NYR
60

1976 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco
$499
91 WS
60

1973 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco
$649
92 IWC
60

1970 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$824
NYR
60

1964 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco
$1,249
94 WA
12

1964 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$1,249
95 WS
12

1964 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Tinto
$1,249
95 WA
6

1954 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$1,249
95 WA
6

1954 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Tinto
$1,249
NYR
6

1947 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Tinto
$1,499
NYR
6

1947 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Tinto
$1,499
98 IWC
2

#2

Not for me. You can find the 1991 Gran Reservas in the US for $70 or so if you look, and I bought the 81 Bosconia GR for $90 not that long ago in the US. These seem high unless they are restaurant prices.

#3

Those prices are very high.

#4

Love the wines, just bought a 98 for around $26.

#5

Those prices are high, quite high, but remember the OP lives in Alberta where a bottle of Barefoot Merlot or Andre sells for about $20.00. By contrast, these markups look downright reasonable.

I feel for you. I would be drinking a lot of Big Rock in lieu of wine if I lived up there.

#6

My recs would be the 1987 Tinto and 1981 or 1987 Blanco. All three are great. Having spent lots of time in Alberta and knowing some of the wine shops and prices, I can say that those prices seem about right. The only great pricing in Alberta compared to the USA is the occasional Italian wine for whatever reason. Those who don’t understand the pricing in BC, Albert, Quebec etc. won’t realize the discrepancy between what they pay vs. Province pricing.

#7

Crazy prices. Take a trip to the US, buy the wine down here, and have dinner with some friends for what you’d pay.

#8

Craig,

A Gran Reserva for $26???

As for these wines, I’ve had bad luck buying older bottles, from a variety of shoulda-been-reliable sources (Acker, Wine Library, etc.): After a terrific 1970 Tondonia GR, I then had a run of somewhat tired to very tired bottles of both Tondonia and Bosconia GRs: '70 Bosconia GR; '76 Bosconia GR; '81 Bosconia GR; '87 Tondonia GR. I’m pretty gunshy now, although I did buy a 1991 Tondonia GR not so long ago which must mean I’m a cockeyed optimist.

Someone posted here that seemingly o.t.h. bottles of these wines can remarkably turn around with overnight airing, something I’ve never tried.

#9

Crazy high prices, but most are really good wines. You can find the '87 and '91 whites at retail for way less (even here in GA!).

#10

Sorry no, just a Reserva.

#11

I’ve had two stellar '91 Bosconia GR’s in the last 6 months, and two stellar '81 Bosconia GR’s in the last couple of years. LdH is reputed to have a lot of bottle variation, but I think I’ve been lucky. A '70 Tondonia GR in Barcelona a couple years ago was truly revelatory. Only one LdH I’ve had–an '87 Tondonia GR–didn’t seem quite right.

Overall, I generally prefer the Bosconia to the Tondonia.

#12

I bought the 1970 Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco last June at the source and when I asked Mercedes when it would drink best, she said … “don’t open it yet, it is still way too young.” I looked at her incredulously and said, “You’re kidding me, right?” and she laughed and said, “No.” I also bought the 1957 TGRB and wondered if a 50-something year old white wine (NON-fortified) would be “ready.” She asked when I was going to have my next big birthday and when I told her, she told me it would be drinking perfectly at that point.

The oldies she opened that afternoon were extremely youthful and where else can you learn about “mold management” … as in shaving the walls of the cellar when the mold grows to be a specific length. She was serious about that too. [drinkers.gif]